As countless thoughts fog our minds throughout the day, it is easy to get lost inside ourselves. By taking the time to journal each day, you can easily take a load off your brain.
The daily practice of journaling is more than just putting words on paper; it is an outlet that can improve your mental health and promote mindfulness in a world that doesn’t prioritize these things.
According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, it is shown that Positive Affect Journaling (PAJ) was associated with decreased mental distress and increased well-being, as well as lower depressive symptoms and anxiety in adults.
Such a simple and effective form of therapy is available at our fingertips, but not knowing where to start can hold us back. Using a prompt can help you begin your flow, and then you can take it where you want it to go.
For over a year, I have been using Emma Watson’s daily journal prompts as inspiration for my own entries. In a 2023 episode of British Vogue’s “In the Bag,” Watson explains that she writes down three joyful things from the day before, three acts of kindness she was a part of, and three things she thought she did well.
Following Watson’s prompts made me realize the importance of paying attention to the small, seemingly insignificant details that make up our everyday lives. Even if I thought I just had a really bad day, I can use these prompts to take a closer look at my 24 hours and rediscover the positive moments that initially passed me by.
However, you certainly don’t have to follow a specific prompt or process; journaling is only what you want it to be, as its purpose is to serve you in your current mental state. Whether you write an entry that is one sentence or three pages long, any length that you go to reflect on yourself and release your thoughts can move mountains in reducing stress.
Sitting down before bed with a warm cup of tea and scribbling my thoughts away brings me peace, and I come out of each entry feeling like I know myself a little better. Having a place to log memories, struggles, and new experiences is an incredibly special tool. Sometimes I will even flip through the pages of my journal to previous entries to put things into perspective, making note of how I can better handle a similar situation in the future.
Because journaling is the act of learning how to better communicate with yourself, your communication skills with others will improve as a result of knowing how to better organize your ideas, fostering deeper connections in turn.
In any way you choose to journal, you will find revitalization from authentic engagement with yourself.
So, next time you feel overwhelmed, don’t let your spiral of thoughts take control. Take out a piece of paper and watch them unfold; they probably aren’t as daunting as they seem inside your head.
Each opinion represented in The Panther Press is the view and voice of the writer. Opinions, as the selection and curation of content by the editors, do not represent the views of the entire Panther Press staff, the adviser, the school, or the administration.
